Defenseman Nick Ross eyes Phoenix Coyotes roster spot

In a camp dedicated to prospects, defenseman Nick Ross stands out as a veteran.

He carried a confidence as he skated at this year's Coyotes prospect camp, the fourth for Ross.

He wore a calm smile as he chatted on the ice.

During scrimmage action, he played the man more than the puck, a testament to the physical edge the Coyotes liked when they selected Ross with the 30th pick in the first round of the 2007 NHL draft.

But at times there was a hesitation in his shot, anxiousness in the way he prodded his stick at the forward charging toward him, and a knowing in his eyes that he needs to improve this summer to stay on the organization's radar.

"As a kid, you always think you're gonna be some sort of superstar, and you think it's gonna be easy," Ross said. "But as you get older, starting in juniors, you have guys coming back from their NHL camps, and you realize that a lot of players have to spend a lot of years. They might be good at offense, but you need everything to play at the next level. And I think the older you get, the more you realize that.

"It's not always a fairy tale. It's hard work."

Ross may sound like a crusty old-timer still chasing a nearly overdue dream of becoming an NHL player, but the fact is he's a 21-year-old, just one year removed from junior hockey. But when highly touted defensemen such as Oliver Ekman-Larsson and this year's first-round pick, Brandon Gormley, join the ranks, pressure starts to increase.

The Coyotes like the simple plays Ross makes with the puck, the shifty moves that turn a potential odd-man rush against the team into one for it. He has those instincts, and the penchant for open-ice hits, but he needs the urgency to boost his competitiveness.

"He needs to say, 'OK, this is my time to grab a hold of this spot and make an impression,' " Assistant General Manager Brad Treliving said.

Ross now realizes what it takes to be a pro. After he left his first camp with the Coyotes and returned to the Western Hockey League, Ross said he was "pretty lazy" with his game. When he dressed for only 47 games with San Antonio of the American Hockey League last season, he received "a wake-up call."

Nothing would be handed to him, like he thought.

"This year I feel like I've really got my head on straight," Ross said.

Ross will be back in the Valley in September for training camp, the fourth of his career. That's where he'll make his case for the Coyotes roster but more likely will be viewed as a candidate for the San Antonio squad.

"This is a real important next two months . . . and it'll be an important training camp and an important year for him," Treliving said.

Ross isn't giving up. But if this dream doesn't pan out, he said he might go back home to Alberta and work the oil rigs, or become a firefighter, or maybe even seek employment at McDonald's.

He's kidding, of course, again revealing that calm smile.

"Honestly, I've never worked a day in my life, so I really have no other choice," he said. "I gotta pick it up here."